Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Assault on the Heavenly Palace

Heavenly Realm

As we scaled the outer walls of the imperial palace and slipped inside, I spotted the White Lotus Cult's Water Deity Corps elites charging at the palace guards up ahead. The guards' commander waved his hand and bellowed.

"Stop the invaders!!"

Watching from a slight distance behind, I let out a groan when I saw thousands of palace guards assembled in the vast plaza.

'So many!'

And every one of them was properly armed and trained in formal martial arts! The pressure they exerted, arrayed in formation like an unmovable mountain, was immense. Meanwhile, the Water Deity Corps elites of the White Lotus Cult hurling themselves at those thousands—tens of thousands—of guards numbered only about seven or eight. To anyone watching, it looked like eggs smashing against a rock.

KABOOM!

On top of that, the guards began firing cannons. One of the Water Deity Corps elites failed to dodge an incoming cannonball and took a direct hit. Dozens of blasts poured down on the same spot.

But when the smoke cleared, the elite stood unharmed. Clad in pitch-black robes emblazoned with the water glyph on his back, he wore a mask. A transparent protective aura enveloped his body.

"......!!"

"No way!"

We gaped in shock at his feat.

Blocking cannon fire with a protective aura!

Even transcendent experts deployed protective auras to fend off powerful attacks, but cannons were another story. No matter how much qi one gathered to bolster defenses, there were limits against raw physical force like that. Yet this Water Deity Corps elite had focused his aura to withstand dozens of cannon blasts with his bare body. Even I wasn't sure if I could pull that off.

The Sword Demon grunted.

"Hmm... Did he take it on purpose?"

With that level of martial prowess, he could've predicted and evaded the cannon's trajectory

withstand dozens of cannon blasts with his bare body. Even I wasn't sure I could pull that off.

The Sword Demon grunted.

"Hmm... Did he take it on purpose?"

With that level of martial prowess, he could've predicted and evaded the cannon's trajectory easily. The fact that he didn't meant he was deliberately showing off his aura's might. Sure enough, that single display of power terrified the frontline palace guards.

"Eeek!"

"It's a monster!"

THUD THUD THUD

The Water Deity Corps elites closed in on the palace guards, swinging their palms to unleash blasts of qi. The radiant qi surges swept away dozens of guards in their path at a time. The guards were trained in martial arts rivaling those of sects, but they couldn't withstand the barrage of qi from these elites.

"Argh!"

"Fight, fight!! Don't retreat!!"

BOOM!!

Screams and pandemonium erupted as the guards' front lines collapsed in an instant. The elites rampaged like lions among sheep, slaughtering without mercy, and no one dared oppose them. Even as they unleashed qi nonstop, they showed no signs of fatigue.

FWOOSH

We debated intervening as we watched, but soon one Water Deity Corps elite appeared near us via illusory phantom step. He too wore a mask and addressed us with arms crossed.

"You lot head to the inner palace. The Cult Leader says he's waiting."

"We really don't need to help?"

"The Council of Elders will join soon. No need to worry."

Sure enough, moments later, Council elites popped up here and there, aiding the vanguard Water Deity Corps. With dozens of transcendent experts going wild, the guards stood no chance, and soon it turned into a living hell.

Fresh waves of thousands of guards rushed in from all sides, but there was no need to fret over the White Lotus Cult elites. Wind Deity Corps and Fire Deity Corps experts swarmed in too, clashing head-on. The palace side had the numbers, but the skill gap was too vast.

"Alright then..."

WHOOSH

We skirted the battlefield, leaping across rooftops toward the inner palace. With experts infiltrating everywhere, clashes of weapons and shouts echoed around us. This was a real warzone.

That's when it happened.

"GRAAAGH!!"

A White Lotus Cult expert screamed as he met a gruesome end. One strike tore him limb from limb—brutal beyond words.

"You bastard!!"

His comrades nearby roared in fury and charged the foe before them. Wind Deity Corps elites by the look of them, they deployed wind-white steps while unleashing blade qi in a joint assault. But "it" swung its arm wildly, emitting a bizarre wail.

THUD THUD THUD

"Grk!"

Immense power and speed! Five elites attacked together, yet three died instantly. Up close, "it" was no longer human—its head morphing into something lizard-like, its body covered in pitch-black scales. Dokgo Sung barked sharply at the sight.

"A Dragonkin!"

"They've started deploying the superhuman soldiers."

With the outer palace guards failing, they'd resorted to superhuman soldiers from within.

GRRRR...

Sure enough, eerie figures resembling Dragonkin—superhuman soldiers on the verge of mutating into black dragons—began emerging everywhere. They'd shed their human forms entirely.

The Sword Demon said,

"Fighting those head-on would be foolish. Let's get out of here quick."

The experts gathered here could handle maybe ten Dragonkin. But who knew how many more—or demons—might pour in? And they weren't even the real enemy. Then Zhuge the Elder chuckled from beside him.

[You're late.]

My first glimpse of the White Lotus Cult Leader unmasked!

He wore a purple robe embroidered with golden water threads and a coronet. A blank mask devoid of any features or expression covered his face, somehow more chilling for it.

Surprisingly, he seemed small in stature. Narrow shoulders, not built for martial arts. Yet the terrifying power radiating from within was palpable.

The Cult Leader spoke.

[There's a powerful barrier over the Great Dragon Hall. Any way to breach it?]

At his words, Cheon Woo-jin glanced at the hall and replied,

"Eight Divisions Formation. I'll dispel it from outside—go on in."

[Oh? You can?]

The Leader sounded impressed.

[Baek Woong. You have fine companions.]

"......"

I had no reply. I still didn't grasp the Cult Leader's true intentions. One thing was clear: he had no plans to attack the Thunder God Corps here.

CRACKLE

Cheon Woo-jin pried open a gap in the Eight Divisions barrier, and cracks spiderwebbed across the hall's sturdy facade. A visible rift twisted the empty air like shattering glass. He warned us,

"Only enter if you're confident protecting yourself! Half-assed skill means certain death."

[Understood... And we must clear these pests.]

[We'll go ahead.]

WHOOSH

The Leader and Protectors vanished into the Great Dragon Hall. Zhuge the Elder spoke up.

"Baek Woong. Don't go in."

"What're you talking about?"

"Heh heh. Better to wait here and finish off whichever survives—the Leader or the Emperor, right?"

An out-of-left-field suggestion from Zhuge. As I stared, the Sword Demon and Dokgo Sung chimed in.

"Sounds good."

"No point going in—we'd just be useless against those monsters."

The mood shifted against following the Leader. Zhuge's idea wasn't mad; it was pragmatic. Mutual destruction between the Emperor and Leader was tempting for us.

But after a moment's thought, I said,

"No. We follow."

"Why?"

"The Leader's no fool. If we try stabbing him in the back, we'll end up in his real jaws. Better to watch him up close."

I'd faced the Leader directly or indirectly across reincarnations. He seemed slow and sluggish, but he cunningly dominated the battlefield. He surely knew we'd stay behind—yet he left us, probing our reactions.

"Hmm..."

The Sword Demon pondered, then said,

"Your intuition again?"

"Yes."

"Then we trust it."

Satisfied, he addressed the surroundings.

"We'll secure the escape route here."

"Understood!!"

The Shadowless Clan experts roared in response, resolute as ever. Dokgo Sung said,

"Baek Woong. Pick who goes with you. Ideally, someone useful."

Without hesitation, I replied,

"I'll go alone."

"What?"

"Best that way."

I had Emperor Je's protection, granting solid resistance to curses. I could likely share it with allies. But unsure what lay ahead, going solo let me bail fast if needed.

"Hmm... Do it."

Dokgo Sung and the Sword Demon looked baffled but relented. Then Lee Gwang spoke up.

"I'll come too."

"What?"

"I'm confident I won't be a burden."

I shot back coldly.

"No. You'd just get in the way."

"......"

"If you wanna throw your weight around with force, go ahead. This ain't your stage anyway."

Lee Gwang trembled with humiliation. But his eyes gleamed as he suddenly dropped to his knees before me, bowing his head.

"......!!"

"Please, I beg you. I must meet the Emperor."

The mighty Lee Gwang, kneeling to me?!

I was stunned, as were Jin So-cheong and the others. No one here was ignorant of his colossal pride. For him to kneel just to enter the hall? I sighed.

"What for? Things have gone too far—we'll have to kill him."

"I know. But I must confirm something with him. Please, take me."

"Hmm..."

"It's my life's wish."

I felt Jin So-cheong's gaze beside me. Seeing his master kneel pained him. His sole mentor, reduced to this—not a pleasant sight.

'Aw, damn it.'

Reluctantly, I answered.

"...Come along. But if things go south, I can't save you—got it?"

"Of course. I'll protect myself."

"Alright."

TAP TAP

Soon, Lee Gwang and I entered the Great Dragon Hall. Inside, it scarcely resembled a palace—more like a demon-qi-choked cave. The scenery shifted instantly; heavy demonic influence had warped it into another realm.

Cheon Woo-jin's shout reached my ears.

[I opened a path through the Eight Divisions, but it's unstable. Head straight ahead. If you don't pass within a quarter hour, you're dead!]

I'd follow his advice.

"We've got a quarter hour to cross the palace. To the throne room—keep up."

"Got it."

Lee Gwang and I dashed forward with swift lightness skill.

SCREEECH!!

Suddenly, Dragonkin and demons lunged from everywhere, their superhuman physiques closing fast. Blocking one Dragonkin's claw with my sword sent vibrations through my body. Terrifying destructive power.

'Damn... Without the Thought-Cutting Festival, human limits mean no chance.'

These seemed elite guards, far stronger than the outer ones. I truly felt the superhuman soldiers' threat. A transcendent expert might win, but they were rare in the world. Letting them mass-produce would be disastrous.

CLANG!

"Urk."

Lee Gwang grimaced, swinging his spear repeatedly. Five Dragonkin ganging up overwhelmed even him. Superhuman soldiers weren't for humans to fight—holding his own was impressive.

No choice—I surged Dark Night's power.

"Howl, Dark Night!!"

KIIIING

The silver blade blazed like the sun, extending forth. In that instant, Dark Night's silver edge moved like a living thing, slicing through space-time to fell the enemies at once. The charging Dragonkin crumpled into bloody heaps.

SPLAT SPLAT

"Huff... huff..."

"You okay?"

Lee Gwang was already winded. One Dragonkin was tough; five was brutal. Gritting his teeth, he said,

"I'm fine... Let's hurry to the Emperor!"

I sensed something off. His obsession bordered on madness, tied to his warped, fanatical loyalty. So I warned him.

"If the Emperor controls you, I'll cut you down without hesitation."

"Do as you like."

TAP TAP

Pushing deeper, endless Dragonkin assaulted us. Corpses littered the path from the Leader and Protectors, yet they kept coming—hundreds in this hall alone. A dragon's lair indeed; I felt daunted.

'This is insane...'

Toppling the Emperor without White Lotus aid was impossible now. Feeling the Three

Protectors, yet they kept coming—hundreds in this hall alone. A dragon's lair indeed; I felt daunted.

'This is insane...'

Toppling the Emperor without White Lotus aid was impossible now. Feeling the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns' boost firsthand, bile rose in my throat.

KIIIING!

Dark Night wailed madly, spewing silver radiance. Its power grew with each demon slain, booming vibrations. I checked for Yeo Dongbin's descent, but she showed no intent via the contract.

Finally emerging from the light passage, I sensed we'd cleared the Eight Divisions.

"A breather."

Covered in Dragonkin gore, inhaling the dusty chamber air felt foul. As I caught my breath, Lee Gwang rasped in awe,

"That weapon... a true divine blade. Slaughtering those monsters so easily."

"Don't covet it. I've died countless times for this."

"......"

Then—

"Can't believe it... What day is this? Is the palace doomed?"

A slightly accented Central Plains tongue echoed from the dark. Lee Gwang and I turned to see an old man and a middle-aged man.

The shock: both were Westerners. Golden hair, blue eyes—fair-skinned folk. To identify them, I spoke.

"Who are you? Emperor's allies?"

The elderly Westerner bowed and replied,

"I'm Matteo Ricci, dispatched to the Great Ming Empire by the Jesuits... This is my bodyguard, Hans Talhoffer."

The brown-haired middle-aged man beside him nodded curtly. His sword aura marked him as a transcendent expert.

"......?"

Their bizarre appearance left me baffled.

Jesuits?

Why were they in the palace at this moment?

Before I could respond, Matteo continued.

"We came on intel about the Emerald Tablet in the palace, but it's chaos... Not our fight. We'll be off."

"Wait! What do you—"

"I sense an apostle descending soon. You should flee too."

Matteo conjured a strange fish glyph portal in the air and vanished with Hans. They'd shown up awkwardly and left just as quick. Stunned by the encounter, one fact stood out.

'Apostle!'

An apostle's descent—did that mean Dakga would reappear?

Cheon Woo-jin's voice came then.

[You broke through the Eight Divisions well. The Leader and Emperor seem locked in standoff at the throne room. Hurry!]

No time to dawdle.

The true showdown loomed.

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